2023 (Full Year) Japan: Best-Selling Minicar (Kei) Brands and Models

In full-year 2023, Daihatsu was the top mini-vehicle maker in Japan, Suzuki the best-selling minicar brand, and Honda N-Box the top-selling Kei model.

2023 (January to December): minicar sales in Japan increased by 9.5% to 1,341,330 kei passenger cars. Sales of mini commercial vehicles were down by 2.3% to 403,589 vehicles. The total mini vehicle market increased by 6.5% to 1,744,919 vehicles. Minicar sales in Japan in 2023 were weaker than regular passenger car sales which increased by 19.3% to 2,651,397 cars. Daihatsu remained the top-selling mini vehicle manufacturer in Japan while Suzuki was the top mini passenger car brand. The Honda N-Box was the top-selling minicar model and also outsold the Toyota Yaris in 2023.

Latest Japan Car Sales Statistics: 2023 — Brands, Models, Minicars; Data for 2022 – 2009.

Mini Vehicle Sales in Japan in 2023 (Full Year)

Mini vehicle registrations in Japan in the full calendar year 2023 increased by 6.5% to 1,744,919 mini vehicles compared to 1,638,137 mini vehicles sold in 2022. The market for passenger minicars grew at a fast 9.5% to 1,341,330 vehicles (1,224,995 kei cars in 2022 and 1,275,836 in 2021).

Mini cars (kei-jidousya) in Japan are vehicles defined by amongst others being shorter than 3.4 m with a maximum height of 2 m and a maximum width of 1.48 m. The engine capacity is restricted to 0.66 l measured by the Japanese standard.

Best-Selling Mini Vehicle Brands in Japan in 2023 (Full Year)

The top-selling mini-vehicle producers by brand in Japan in 2023 (January to December) according to Zenkeijkyo were:

	Brand	Brand	2023	2022	% 22/23
	Total	合 計	1,744,919	1,638,137	6.5
1	Daihatsu	ダイハツ	565,928	538,974	5.0
2	Suzuki	ス ズ キ	531,707	501,339	6.1
3	Honda	ホ ン ダ	318,563	298,969	6.6
4	Nissan	日 産	189,627	177,438	6.9
5	Mitsubishi	三 菱	57,849	41,377	39.8
6	Mazda	マ ツ ダ	35,305	30,087	17.3
7	Toyota	ト　ヨ　タ	29,511	30,457	-3.1
8	Subaru	ス バ ル	16,204	19,438	-16.6
	Source: Zenkeijkyo

Mini cars (kei-jidousya) in Japan are vehicles defined by amongst others being shorter than 3.4 m with a maximum height of 2 m and a maximum width of 1.48 m. The engine capacity is restricted to 0.66 l measured by the Japanese standard.

Daihatsu, a subsidiary of Toyota, was again the largest producer of mini vehicles in Japan in 2023 with sales up 5%. However, a major scandal broke at the end of the year concerning safety tests conducted (or not conducted) by Daihatsu, which could weigh heavily on not only the brand but the total minicar market in 2024.

Daihatsu is particularly strong in the commercial minicar market while second-placed Suzuki is the leader in mini passenger cars. Mazda and Toyota swapped positions as the only rank change in 2023.

Best-Selling Minicar Brands in Japan in 2023 (Full Year)

The top-selling mini passenger car producers by brand in Japan in 2023 (January to December) according to Zenkeijkyo were:

	Brand	Brand	2023	2022	% 22/23
	Total	合 計	1,341,330	1,224,995	9.5
1	Suzuki	ス ズ キ	402,379	377,605	6.6
2	Daihatsu	ダイハツ	400,198	353,753	13.1
3	Honda	ホ ン ダ	288,872	265,624	8.8
4	Nissan	日 産	151,905	142,646	6.5
5	Mitsubishi	三 菱	48,139	31,882	51.0
6	Mazda	マ ツ ダ	28,334	23,499	20.6
7	Toyota	ト　ヨ　タ	12,611	19,290	-34.5
8	Subaru	ス バ ル	8,825	10,671	-12.3
	Source: Zenkeijkyo

Suzuki and Daihatsu remained the top passenger minicar producers in Japan in 2023 with the gap shrinking to just over 2000 vehicles. However, the testing scandal that broke at the end of the year is likely to hit Daihatsu sales hard at the start of 2024.

Of the larger minicar producers, Honda improved the most while Mitsubishi increased sales by half.

Best-Selling Minicar Models in Japan in 2023 (Full Year)

The ten best-selling minicar passenger models in Japan were as follows:

	Maker	Model Name	通称名	Sales 2023	Sales 2022	% 23/22
1	Honda	N-BOX	Ｎ-ＢＯＸ	231,385	202,197	14.4
2	Daihatsu	Tanto	タント	159,392	107,810	47.8
3	Suzuki	Spacia	スペーシア	122,275	100,206	22.0
4	Daihatsu	Move	ムーヴ	104,557	94,837	10.2
5	Suzuki	Hustler	ハスラー	82,720	70,373	17.5
6	Suzuki	Wagon R	ワゴンＲ	72,235	82,213	-12.1
7	Nissan	Roox	ルークス	70,536	72,600	-2.8
8	Suzuki	Alto	アルト	67,719	67,204	0.8
9	Daihatsu	Mirror	ミラ	64,080	65,317	-1.9
10	Daihatsu	Taft	タフト	59,330	56,861	4
	Source: Zenkeijkyo

The top-selling mini passenger car models in Japan in the full year 2023 were again the Honda N-Box, Daihatsu Tanto, Suzuki Spacia, and Daihatsu Move. The only rank order change in the top ten was the Suzuki Hustler moving up two places from a year ago.

In 2023, the Honda N-Box remained Japan’s favorite mini-car model for the eighth consecutive year. It also outsold the Toyota Yaris, which was Japan’s most popular regular car model in 2023. The N-Box was updated late in the year and should boost sales in early 2024.

Latest Japan Car Sales Statistics: 2023 — Brands, Models, Minicars; Data for 2022 – 2009.